Mixing machine



Feb. 22, 1938. JQSISLEY ET AL 2,108,999

MIXING MACHINE FiledJune 1935 l' 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 /ce ,//9/0' mdl"avervi-QRS Z5 l 3 l v ATTORNEY Feb. 22, '1938. I J. SISLEY ETA; v2,108,999,

MIXING MACHINE Fiied June 4, 1935 4 sheets-sheet 2 /7 am 38; a? 745464039 e a o o a L Q 40 4 /{Jaz 40 4/ 4Z 5 @7 a 35 l FJ M//f/TEvINvlzN-roras 7 7 J6/LEY ATTORNEY L. J. SISLEY' ET AL.

MIXING MACHINE Filed June 4,` l935 Feb. Z2, 1938 4 sneeI's-snee s 4 .L.L5/.HEY

F.' J. u//lms ATTORNEY Feb. 22, 1938.

l... J. slsLEY Er Al.

MIXING MACHINE- Filed June 4, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 nv VENTOR L..ZJ/51.57

Patented Feb. 22, 1938 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE MIXING MACHINE LeslieJ. Sisley ena Frank J. white, seattle, Wash., assignors to FisherFlouring Mills Co.,

a corporation of Washington Application June 4, 1935, Serial No. 24,864.

Claims. (Cl. 259-11) This invention relates to improvements in mixingmachines, and it has reference particularly to machines designed for themixing of a plurality of ingredients in predeterminedamounts;

5 it being the principal object of this invention to provide a machineparticularly for the mixing oi' a special biscuit our: however, it is tobe understood that the machine is adapted also for the preparation ofother products which might in their preparations, require that aplurality of ingredients be thoroughly and intimately mixed together.

More specifically stated the object of the present invention resides inthe provision of a mixing machine comprising a container into which our,lin a definite amount by weight, may be received from a source of supplyprior to the mixing operation; a batch mixer including a pair ofrevolving drums; a conveyor on which the flour maybe conveyed in a layerof definite thickness from the container to the batch mixer; andconveyers whereby the various other dry ingredients that are to beemployed may be delivered gradually and evenly onto the layer of our aslt is` 2'5 conveyed to the batch mixture.

It is also an object of the invention to provide driving means for theour conveyer and for the other conveyers including a timing meanswhereby the actions of the latter are timed with the delivery of flour.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a novel form of batchmixer, especially de- 1 signed for the mixing of a shortening material,such as lard, or the like, with the dry mixed ingredlents, and wherebythe shortening will be iinely divided, and evenly and thoroughly mixedwith the dry mixture in a minimum length of time.

Other objects of the invention reside in the details of construction andin the combination of parts embodied in the mixer and in their mode ofoperation, as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I haveprovided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms ofwhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

wherein- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a mixing device embodied by thepresent invention.

Fig. 2 is a iragmental, detail of the flour feeder valve, and itsdriving gearing. y y

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the feeder valve on the line 3-3 inFig. 2. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section Vin a vertical plane, throughthe iiour Weighing receptacle and conveyor belt whereby the flour isconveyed to the batch mixer; also showing the several conveyers wherebythe dry ingredierts are delivered fromI their respective compartmentsfor mixing. with the iiour in its delivery to the batch mixer.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 in Fig. 4, showing the beltdriving gearingl and control devices.

Fig. 6 is a cross section, as on the line 6-6 in 10 Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a vertical, cross sectional view o! the batch mixer.

Fig. 8 is a section in a vertical plane, axially of one of the mixingdrums and its housing. 15

Fig. 9 is a detail of the latch mechanism for supporting the deliverydoors of the batch mixer in closed position during the mixingoperations.

Fig. 10 shows, in plan view, the actuating shafts for latch devices andtheir operating 20 connections.

Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the upper unit of the mechanism. r

Fig. l2 is a side view of the driving gearing.

Fig. 1 3 is a detail of the timing clutch mecha- 25 msm.

Fig. 14 is a sectional detail of the clutch devices.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

In the preparation of the biscuit our, for 30v which the present machineis particularly in tended, a denite amount of white ourv of a selectedgrade is first delivered into a weighing bin, or container. Then thisdenite amount of flour is delivered from the container on a moving 35belt, in a layer of denite thickness, and' while being conveyed to abatch mixer the other dry ingredients for the mixture are added to theour. The iiour, with the added ingredients, is discharged into the batchmixer for a thorough 4o mixing. Finally the mixed batch is dischargedinto a hopper for conveyance to the packing machines, or to other pointsof use.

When a shortening material, such as lard, is to comprise a part of themixture,.this is added 45 to the dry ingredients as they enter the batchmixer, and is thoroughly mixed with the latter in the batch mixer.

To facilitate and expedite the accurate weighing out of the our for eachbatch, the container 5o l is mounted directly upon the weighing platform2 of a. suitable type of scale 3. 'l'.n. the present instance a pair ofhorizontal and parallel beams 4 are xed upon the scale platform 2 and.upon these beams the container I is mounted. 55

The beams are extended beyond one side of the container and also beyondthe scale platform, as seen in Fig. 1, and mounted upon their extendedends is a housing 5 which, ifdesired, may be formed integral with thecontainer I, and which,

at its outer end, is provided with a downwardly" directed deliveryportion 3 through which the ingredients are`discharged directly into thereceiving spout of the batch mixer 1, asr will presently be explained. vY

The upper end of the container, or bin, I, is open, as shown in Fig. 4,for the reception of our from av source of supply and extended acrossthe lower end of the bin, as a closure therefor, and continuing alongthe housing 5 to near its outer end, is a horizontally disposed conveyerbelt 3. This belt is mounted on rollers 9 and III which have theirshafts 8' and I0', respectively, revolubly mounted at their ends inbearings I2 on the beams 4. 'I'he outer end of belt 3 terminates at thedischarge spout 3 so that the flour and other ingredients conveyed onthe b'elt may be discharged directly into the hopper. The bin I has alateral outlet I3 through which the belt passes and this is fitted witha vertically slidable closure panel I4 whereby the thickness of thelayer of flour delivered by the belt may bevaried as desired byadjusting the panel toward or from the upper run of the belt. lloaccomplish this adjustment, the panel has a horizontal cross bar I5fixed thereto, as shown in Fig. l1, and this bar has lugs I5 fixed toits opposite ends through which vertical adjusting shafts I3 arethreaded. These threaded shafts are revolubly contained at their upperand lower ends, respectively in supports I1 and I1' that are fixed tothe bin I.

f Fixed on the lower end of each shaft is a bevel gear I9 meshing withbevel gears I9 on a cross shaft 20, supported revolubly in bearings 2Ifixed to the bin I. The adjusting shaft 20 extends to one side of thehousing and is'equipped with a wheel '23' whereby it may be rotatedthereby to simultaneously rotate theshafts I3 to raise or lower theclosure panel I4.

Directly`above the bin is a supply hopper 22 provided with a deliveryopening 23 in which is iitted a revolubly mounted feed valve 24. Thisvalve, as shown in lFigs. 2 and 3, has a supporting shaft 25 revolubleat one end in a supporting bearing 23, and fixed on the shaft is a wormwheel 21 driven by a worm 23 on the shaft 23 of an electric motor 30.'I'he valve has pockets 3i, lengthwise thereof whereby the flourisdelivered in a controlled amount as the valve rotates. A hood 32suspended from the hopper 22 and free of the bin I enclosesthe openupper-end of the bin I yand the delivery mouth 23 of the hopper toconfine the iine flour therein.

When the motor 30 is set in motion, flour will be delivered into thecontainer I by rotation of valve 24, and by watching the balance arm ofthe scale 3, the operator may eiect the delivery of the exact amount offiour'desired, or required, forany particular batch.

The. motor- 30 is mounted on a supporting bracket 33 attached to thehopper 22 and could, if desired, have a suitable control switch in itscircuit actuated by thel balance arm of the scale to automatically openthe circuit to stop the motor 33 when a definite amount of iiour hadbeen delivered into the bin I.

Supported free of the container I and housing 5 by means of anindependent frame structure 35, is a housing 36, of rectangular form andhorizontally disposed over the housing 5. Thi

housing 33 is transversely divided, as shownV in Figs. 4 and 5, bypartitions 31 to provide a plurality of transverse compartments or bins33, 33a, 33h, etc., to a desired number; there being six of thesecompartments shown in Fig. 4.

Across the lower, open ends of the several compartments, feed belts 43operate. `Each belt closes the bottom of its respective compartment andhas individual mounting rollers 4I and 42 and these have their mountingshafts 43 revolubly supported in bearings 44 in the opposite side wallsof the housing 33 and the forward rollers of each set are mechanicallydriven, as presently described, thus to move the belts for feeding ofmaterial from the compartment.

At one sider of each compartment thus provided is a discharge slot 45just above the top. run of the belt associated therewith. Each slot -isequipped with a closure in the form of a panel 43 that maybe adjustedrelative to the belt to control the area of the space for outflow ofmaterial. Thus, when a material such as salt, soda, or the like, isplaced in a compartment 33, it will, on operation of the belt, begradually fed therefrom by the belt 40 and will be discharged downwardlyinto the housing 5 for delivery onto the mixing drum 1.

Assuming that a weighed quantity of flour has been deposited in the binI, the belt 3, when set in motion. will convey this flour in a layer ofdefinite thickness, as determined by the setting of panel I4, throughthe housing 5 and will discharge it into the batch mixer. Coincidentwith this delivery of iiour, all belts 40 are caused to operate todeliver the ingredients of the various bins 33 onto the layer of flouror directly into the hopper 3, thereby -to pre-mix them before deliveryinto the batch mixer.

If it should be desired to shut off the delivery i of flour from the binat any time, this is accomplished by the closing of a door 41 over theopening I3. This door, as shown in Fig. 4, is fixed on a cross shaft 43,revoluble in supporting bearings 43,viixed to the forward side of thehousing; this shaft is equipped at one end witha hand lever 53, wherebyit may be rotated to swing the door between open and closed positions. Alatch 5I of common design, is associated with the lever, and is adaptedto engage a stationary rack segment 52 to hold the door at any setposition.

Access to the outer end of housing 5 is provided through an opening 55,as shown in Fig. 4. A door 531s hingedly suspended inside the housing tooverlie this opening land this operates as a deiiector plate by whichmaterial discharged from the outer bins 33, is directed into the hopper3. Also, this opening 55 vis that through which the shortening materialis applied for mixing with the dry mixed ingredients, and it serves as abreather opening for exhaust of air from the mixer incident to its beingcharged with a batch.

The batch mixer 1, as shown best in Figs. 7 and 8, comprises a closedhousing having two parallel cylindrical sections 1a and 1b, adaptedtoreceive material thereinto through a common top opening from thehopper 6. Each section coaxially contains arevolubly mounted drum 30.Each drum has a supporting shaft 6I extended revolubly through bearingsin frame structures at the ends of the housing, and these shafts areequipped with belt wheels 62 about which belts 63 operate to revolublydrive the drums in the direction indicated by the arrows thereon in Fig.7.

Each drum comprises opposite ends of circular form joined directlyacross their outer edges by tightly drawn wires or rods 54. 'Ihese rodsare in two concentric circular rows and operate to divide and cut thematerials to eil'ect a thorough mixing. They also operate to cut up theshortening material.

Each section of the housing also has a delivery opening 55 at its lowerside communicating with a discharge hopper 55. Doors 51 are arranged toclose these openings and, as shown in Fig. '7, are fixed to andsupported by 'transverse shafts 53-53. These shafts extend to theoutside of the housing 1 and each has a gear segment 10 fixed thereon,as seen in Fig. 1. A rack bar 1|, slidable in guiding supports 12 mesheswith'the gear segments and this rack is shiftable-by means of anoscillating lever arm 13, pivoted'as at V14.

on the housing, and provided with a pinv and slot connection, as at 15,with the rack bar. A pneumatic means actuates the lever arm in oppositedirections, thus to open or close the doors. This hydraulic meanscomprises a cylinder 80, containing a piston 0| therein ywith a rod 32connected by link 33 with the. oscillating lever arm 13. Admittance ofpressure medium to one or the other end of the cylinder, actuates thepiston accordingly, thus to open or close both doors si multaneously.

When the doors are closed, they may be locked in this position bylatches 30, which are fixed on vpivot shafts 9| that extend through thehousing, as seen in Figs. 9 and 10. These two shafts have intermeshinggear wheels 95--95 at their outer ends of like size, see Fig. 10,thereby to cause said shafts to operate together and an actuating arm isattached to the outer end of one shaft, as seen in Figs. 1 and 10,whereby the two may be rotated to cause all latches to simultaneouslyengage or release their respective doors. The arm 35, is connected by alink 91 with a piston 00 in an air cylinder 93. The cylinder isconnected with a source of compressed air by a pipe |00 and a controlvalve |0| is operable to admit air to either end of the cylinder toactuate the piston either to lock or unlock the doors 55.

The mixed batch is discharged, by opening of the doors 65 into thehopper 85 and the material is conveyed from the hopper on a belt |05operating through the hopper across the bottom wall thereof, as shown inFig. 8.

'I'he driving gearing for the machine is shown best in Figs. 5, 6, 11,12 and 13 wherein Ill designates the main. shaft that is continuouslydriven by connection with a motor ||2. As shown in Fig. 12, the motorhas a worm ||3 driving a worm wheel ||4 to eiect a desired speedreduction, and wheel ||4 is fixed on a supporting shaft ||5 carrying asprocket wheel Ill over which a belt ||1 operates to drive a sprocket||0 fixed on shaft ||0. A driving connection between the shaft ||0 andthe shaft 9' is made through a clutch |20, as seen in Fig. 6, and thesetting of this clutch is through manipulation of the shaft 43. Byreference to Figs. 5, 11 and 12 it is observed that on the end of shaftis a lever arm 12|, connected at its outer end by a link |22 with apivotally mounted clutch shifting bell crank lever |23, as seen in Fig.5. The connection provides that, when the shaft 48 is rotated to openthe gate or door 41, it operates. also to rock the bell crank andthereby to set the clutch |20 and cause the belt 3 to be set in motion.When the.

door 41 is moved to closed position,.this disengages the clutch andstops the belt 0; the bell crank Awhen rocked operates to shift one partalong shaft 9' into or from locked relation with the complemental partwhich is fixed on shaft ||0.,

By reference to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the rolls 4| for the feedbeltsl 40 have their drive shafts extended to the side of housing 33 andeach is equipped with a bevel gear |25 whereby it is driven. These gearsare in mesh with bevel gears |25 on a longitudinal, shaft |21 which, inturn has a gear |23 at one end meshing witha gear |29 on a shaft |30.The shaft |30, as seen in Fig. 13, is coaxial of a driving shaft |3|drivenoperatively connected through the mediacy of a' clutch devicedesignated at |43. This latter clutch is u'nder control of a releaselugv |44 fixed on a shift. rod that is reciprocally actuated betweenclutch setting and releasing positions by a lever |45 supported by apivot |41 intermediate its ends, with its lower end operativelyconnected by means of linkage designated at |48, see Figs'. 5 and 12,with the'clutch setting bell crank |23 in such manner that when clutch|20 is set to drive the belt 8,'it also effects the movement of shiftrod |45 whereby clutch |43 isset to drive the shaft |42.

Fixed on shaft |42 is a cam segment |55 that controls the setting andrelease of clutch |35. Clutch |35 is illustrated inA Fig. 14 and itsillustration applies also to clutch |43. In Fig. 14, designates aratchet wheel fixed on shaft |30 and |5| is a pawl, pivotally mountedatv |52, on a casing |03 xed on shaft |42. The pawl has an end portioni5 la extended beyond the housing to a position to engage with the block|44, thereby to release the clutch. When the shift rod |45 is adjustedoutwardly, the pawl will be released, thus setting the clutch. f

When'the clutch |43 is set, it rotates shaft |42 which, in turn, rotatesthe cam segment' |55. This segment is operable to set or release theclutch |35 in a like manner.

Whe'hthe machine is in operation, the shafts and this starts cam segment|44 rotating, but

due to the extent of the cam, the clutch |35 isvv not released untilsome time after belt 0' has started and thisinterval of time is suchthat the layer of flour willhave reached the fend of the belt beforevthe ingredients in the compartments 33 are released. This is desirablesince the heavier ingredients, if not mixed with the our prior todelivery into the batch mixer will not mix in the latter.

. The clutch arrangement is so arranged also that after release ofclutch |20 to stop the belt 8, the shaft |42 continues to rotate untilclutch |43 is released, and this is coincident with or closely followingthe release of clutch |35.

With the machine so constructed, batches of material may be quickly andthoroughly mixed: first by applying the other ingredients to the flouras the latter is delivered in a layer of a desired thickness on the beltI, then mixing all together in the revolving drums. The shorteningmaterial may be added to the mixture in the drums. andl there thoroughlyground up.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is` l. In a machine of the characterdescribed. a storage bin for a batch of ilour, or the like. having aside opening. a continuous belt supporting the ilour in the bin andoperating through the side opening thereof for conveying the ilour fromthe bin in a layer thereon to a point of delivery, a plurality ofseparate compartments arranged in succession along the belt and havingindividualv dispensing means operable to deliver materials therefrom insuccessive layers onto the layer of flour as conveyed by the belt, andmeans for driving the first mentioned belt and for actuating the saiddispensing means in synchronism therewith and for causing a time delaybetween the starting of the tlrst mentioned beit and the dispensingmeans for the separate compartments.

2. In a storage bin for flour or the like having an opening, a beltoperating through' the opening for conveying flour from the bin in alayer thereon to a point of delivery, a compartment spaced from the binabove the belt and having means for the dispensing of material therefromonto the layer oi' flour, a mechanism for driving the belt and foractuating the dispensing means, and including devices whereby there willbe a time delay edected between the starting of the belt for delivery offlour and the starting of said dispensing means.

3. A machine of the character described, com.- prising a bin adapted forreception of a batch of flour and havingga laterally extending housingand a sidewall opening communicating with the housing, a continuoushorizontal conveyor belt operable about driven rollers located in thebin and housing, respectively, and on which belt flour will be deliveredfrom the bin, a panel mounted across the top edge of said side wallvopening and adjustable from and toward the belt to determine thethickness of the layer of flour delivered by the beit, means for closingof! the opening, a plurality of ingredient compartments supported acrossthe laterally extending housing at intervals along the travel of thebelt anda discharge belt for each compartment operable to dispense thecontents thereof onto the layer of fiour as delivered on the belt.

4. In a machine of the character described,

a bin for the reception of a batch of flour andl having a laterallyextending housing and a side wall opening into the said housing, acontinuous belt operable through the bin as a support for the flourtherein and through said side wall opening and spaced from the top ofthe opening for the conveyance of'iiourfrom the bin thereon in a layerdetermined by the spacing of the belt below the top oi.' the opening,ingredient compartments arranged above the belt in said housv ing andequipped with means for the dispensing of ingredients therefrom inlayers onto the layerj of our. and aV door adapted to be closed overvthe opening of said bin and against the top of the belt to cut oil.'theconveyance of our thereon from the bin.

5. A device as in claim 4, wherein there is a power driven shaft, adriving shaft for the con- `veyer belt, a clutch connection between theshafts, and means operable incident to opening said door to set theclutch for driving the conveyer belt and for releasing the clutch uponclosing of the door.

LESLIE J. SISLEY. FRANK J. WHITE.

